


Angelic Siblings

by Zakani_Donovan



Series: Well, That Was A Thing (Good Omens One-Shots) [2]
Category: Good Omens (TV), Good Omens - Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
Genre: Alternate Universe - Childhood Friends, Aziraphale Loves Crowley (Good Omens), Background Character Death, Crowley Loves Aziraphale (Good Omens), Cute, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Gay, Light Angst, M/M, ending up for interpretation, good omens - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-25
Updated: 2020-06-25
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:15:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,488
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24886696
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zakani_Donovan/pseuds/Zakani_Donovan
Summary: In this AU, we have a one trio of brothers meeting another trio of brothers and various connections occur as time goes on and they spend more time with each other.
Relationships: Aziraphale & Crowley (Good Omens), Aziraphale/Crowley (Good Omens)
Series: Well, That Was A Thing (Good Omens One-Shots) [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1800655
Kudos: 29





	Angelic Siblings

**Author's Note:**

> Context: Based on revelliee's Angel Bros AU on Instagram and Twitter.
> 
> Book Azi (17): Avery Zachariah Fell  
> Radio Azi (12): Alexander Zachary Fell  
> TV Azi is (5): Andrew Zachiel Fell
> 
> Human AU. They're literal brothers. All three have the initials "A.Z. Fell" in honor of their late paternal grandfather. The similar middle names were purely because their mother liked the idea, no symbolism there. 
> 
> Since this is an Ineffable Husbands one-shots book, I obviously had to add Crowley somewhere in the mix and decided to have the same dynamic: 3 brothers. (Book Crow is 19, Radio Crow is 13 and TV Crow is 5, just like TV Azi.)
> 
> Now, here's the thing: there are three versions of the ship in this one-shot. By the end, based on what is said (and left unsaid), you can choose which pair is romantically involved, which is platonic and which is brotherly-bonded. The ending's up for interpretation because I won't lean one way or another, but the fact will remain that each pair loves each other in some way, shape or form.

For visual reference: [This is what the Fell boys look like](https://www.instagram.com/p/B6OMWw3lqqq/?igshid=1j18s1kegfyar)

  
  
"Alexander! Andrew! Hurry up, please! Your food is getting cold!" Shouted Avery from the kitchen downstairs. He had just finished making breakfast and needed to jump in the shower as soon as possible to stay on schedule.

It was the same every morning. He'd get up early, check his brothers' notebooks and make breakfast. Yesterday it was Alexander who had chosen the menu, the day before it had been Avery, so naturally, today's choice belonged to Andrew. He had asked for crepes last night. Even though Avery was very much aware of what sugar in large quantities did to his baby brother, he figured it'd be alright. For his sanity anyway, since for the next eight hours, he wouldn't be the one dealing with him.

Andrew raced down the stairs with Alexander two steps behind, making sure to catch him if he were to trip. It was a common occurrence, the little guy was incredibly energetic. Very intelectual too, only in kindergarten but he was already at a second-grade reading level. A bit expected, considering his older brothers were a couple of bookworms and encouraged his eagerness to learn. In reality, Andrew was only enrolled in school to socialize, make friends with children his own age and because they had no one to watch him while they were at school.

Their father had passed after a horrible car accident he had when he lost control of the vehicle. To this day, Avery is afraid to learn how to drive because if he was in a similar wreck, he didn't want to be responsible for what would happen to his brothers, who would most likely be in the car with him.

Their mother was off in Syria this month running a clinic. She was a doctor and when she got the offer of going around the world to help people in need, she wanted to jump immediately. She didn't want to leave her children behind, but she also knew the constant traveling wouldn't allow the boys to have a normal life or educational experience. It was Avery who convinced her to live her dream. He had always been mature for his age, not to mention responsible. He had always helped take care of his brothers and he knew everything about running the house. As long as the joint bank account had money in it, he could handle everything. He had other times, when her shifts would go on for much longer than expected in the emergency room, so she knew exactly what he was capable of.

"Aziraphale made crepes, Alex! Look!" The 5 year old exclaimed as he bounced excitedly. He climbed onto the chair with Alexander's help.

The Fell boys started referring to each other as "Aziraphale" when Andrew was first learning to read. He saw their initials "A.Z. Fell" but it got jumbled together when he tried saying it quickly. Everyone thought it was adorable so they went along with it. Andrew used to see it as a tease but he actually started liking it. The two older brothers tend to just use it for him but he'll use it for them as well when he's feeling more affectionate. Which is truly saying something, because little Andrew is the sweetest child in existence, as far as Avery and Alexander know.

Avery was always the last to eat. He made sure everyone else was ready and fed before he was, figuring he would be fine if he had to stay hungry for a few hours before lunch. As he started to bite into his crepe, his phone began to ring. Their mother's face popped up on the video-call screen and he called his siblings back into the kitchen as he picked up.

"Good morning, my darlings! How are you today?" Her face and smile were almost as bright as sunshine. She always seemed to glow when she saw her children, she couldn't help but be happy.

"Aziraphale made crepes, mummy!" Informed Andrew excitedly before anyone else could say a word.

She grinned. " **Did** he now? Were they yummy?"

"Yes!" He exclaimed as he squirmed in Alexander's lap.

"I'm glad to hear that. What about the rest of you? Anything to report?"

"I got an A+ on last week's science exam." Alexander piped up. 

Avery chuckled. "Ms. Campbell thought he cheated."

"Why would she think that?" She asked, concern written all over her face.

Avery pursed his lips. "He finished the exam in five minutes."

"I finished it as quick as I could to see if I would be let out earlier. Didn't work. She searched my bag and desk to see where I had the answers scribbled out." Explained the middle child.

Their mother raised a brow. "And why did you want to get out of it so early?"

"I wanted to see the auditions for the school play. They're doing Hamlet." He noted, smiling.

She still seemed confused. "So you wanted to **watch**? Not audition yourself?"

"Perhaps next year. Once you're back." He said simply.

She looked at him sweetly, with a hint of sadness. She ignored the stinging of forming tears and blinked them away, changing the subject. They continued speaking and catching up for a bit more and then they went off to catch the school bus before it left them behind.

~~~~~

_**Andrew's POV:** _

Alexander walked Andrew into the first building of the school, as he always did. Immediately, the little boy clutched at his brother's leg with a tiny whimper upon seeing many of his classmates running around the yard.

Alexander sighed. "Come on, Aziraphale. Mrs. King can't have you be her assistant if you're wrapped around my leg like this." He tried, wondering when he'd stop acting this way at the entrance.

Eventually, Andrew loosened his death grip and Alexander had feeling in his extremity once more. He made sure to hug his little brother and wave goodbye before leaving.

"See you at three, Andrew!"

The bell rang and Mrs. King walked over to him, kneeling behind him.

_Bye..._

Andrew waved back as he watched Alexander leave. When he turned, he smiled to the teacher, took her hand and walked in together.

It happened during nap-time, the first meeting. Andrew was reading a little pop-up book in his usual corner of the classroom instead of sleeping, fairly far away from the rest of the children. The teacher passed by to check on him, she asked how he was liking the book and he said he was enjoying it. She chuckled softly at him, messing up his hair.

"Such a little angel." She said before walking away. He went back to reading after smiling at her.

Far away, one of the little sleeping lumps started to shift from under the blanket. The child peeked from beneath the covers. Little hazel eyes and a tuft of bright red hair could be seen. He crawled out from his little space and approached the shorter blond boy. Andrew hadn't noticed, he was too interested in his book.

"What's an angel?" Asked the ginger boy. It startled Andrew.

He looked at the child in front of him, momentarily scared. "What?"

"Teacher called you an 'angel'. What's that?" The skinnier boy sounded like he had a slight lisp, in reality, the snake-like hiss which occurred every time he used an 's' was caused because of his missing front teeth.

Andrew stared at him, wondering why he had never seen anyone with hair in that color. He liked it quite a lot.

_It looks like fire!..._

The boy waved his hand in front of the blond's face. "Hey!"

"Huh?" Blinked Andrew, no longer staring at his hair.

"What's an angel?" He asked again, more emphasis on the word but not yelling.

Andrew didn't know how to explain it. Visually, he knew what an angel was, but by definition, he wasn't entirely sure. So he got up from his chair and walked over to the nearby bookshelf. He grabbed a book with mythological and fairytale illustrations, and went along until he found Cupid, which was the first thing he thought of whenever he heard 'angel'.

The boy looked over his shoulder. "So you love everyone?" He asked, seeing all the hearts around him.

Andrew shook his head. "He makes other people love."

"Can you make me love someone else?"

Andrew shrugged. "I don't think so."

Mrs. King approached them, smiling brightly. "Making friends, Andrew?" The blond smiled, hoping that was the case.

The child pointed at Cupid. "Is this an angel?"

"No, Anthony, that's Cupid."

_Anthony? Pretty name!_

"An angel is one of God's little helpers. They're very nice and gentle and lovely to everyone. They're very innocent and they protect humans." She explained.

"What's 'innocent'?"

She laughed. "You're such a curious little thing, Anthony. I'll tell you later. Go finish your nap, I know how much you love to sleep." She urged, gently pushing him towards his mat.

He didn't fuss about it and buried himself under the blankets once more. At least, he did momentarily. He poked his head out again and he noticed that Andrew wasn't going to bed as well.

"You don't sleep?"

"Don't like it."

"So, you just look at books?"

"I read."

"Don't you get bored?"

"No, I like it."

"Books make me sleepy."

"Want me to read you a bedtime story? So you can sleep again?"

Anthony nodded. He shimmied out from his little nap-cave and pulled the mat back to where Andrew sat. The shorter boy asked the other what type of book he'd like for him to read and the ginger picked a funny one. Andrew proceeded to read the story and Anthony would giggle in between tiny yawns. Eventually, he gave in to the sandman and Andrew went back to reading to himself.

~~~~~

**_Alexander's POV:_ **

For the next few days, Anthony would seek out Andrew as soon as he'd arrive at the classroom. He'd drag him out of his corner and from the teacher's side so he could play with him and his friends. Well, most of the time it was just the two of them playing with Anthony's toys but the little blond enjoyed it very much, more so than when they were in a larger group. Andrew had even starting referring to Anthony as 'Tony' sometimes as a reply to him still calling him 'angel'. It was different than what he'd usually do, and so far, he liked different.

The child liked it so much, that by the time Friday came around, he asked Alexander if he could have a play-date with Anthony. Alexander had his doubts but decided it'd be best to meet Anthony's parent and then decided. However, instead of an adult coming to pick up Anthony, it was a teenage boy with black hair like crow feathers and the same eyes as the small ginger.

"So you're related to the 'angel' I've heard so much about...?" Asked the dark haired teen. He had a voice like velvet, Alexander had never heard anything like it in someone his age or close to it. Not even his older brother had a voice that deep.

_Good Lord, am I speaking to a radio host? He sounds unnaturally pleasing... What did he say?_

Alexander cleared his throat, trying to focus once more. "Pardon?"

"Apparently, all your little brother is missing is a pair of wings to be part of the choir. He's a little saint, according to AJ." Explained the taller teen.

Alexander nodded. "Rather. He rarely ever does anything wrong. He's a very well-behaved boy. Is that why he calls him an angel?"

"The teacher said it and he took a liking to the word. Kept talking about his angel since he met him, fairly adorable. Anyhow, think we could work something out?" He asked as he leaned against the metal gates near the kindergarten's entrance.

The blond teen took out his phone, unlocking it. "Certainly. I just need to check to see if it's alright with-"

"Your brother and your mother. Figured as much." Interrupted Anthony's brother in a matter-of-fact tone.

_I'm sorry, **what**?_

Alexander gave him a questioning look. "How did you know that? Are you the next Derren Brown or something?"

_How on Earth did you know that?_

He smirked and let out a lazy chuckle. "Firstly, I have no idea who that is. Secondly, the boys talk. **A lot**. And then he talks about him when he gets home. **A lot**. At this point, I feel like I've known you for years."

_I suppose that makes sense. Still, it's a bit unsettling. Silver-tongued devil claiming to know me..._

The blond raised a brow. "Really now? Well then, why don't you tell me everything you ' **know** ' about me?" He made sure to use the air-quotes and emphasis so his tone was not misinterpreted.

He shoved his hands deep into his pockets (how, Alexander wasn't sure, considering how skinny and tight his jeans were), looked up as if trying to think, followed by an exaggerated hum. "Let's see: you're 12, middle child, very clever, you're the funnier brother, love the theater, hate doing the dishes, you're very sweet but if anyone touches your books without permission, you get pissy."

_Oh, Andrew, for God's sake..._

"I do **not** get pissy!" Alexander exclaimed, his face turning a very light shade of pink.

His smirk got even wider. "That reaction tells me otherwise." As quick as a snake, he snatched Alexander's phone from his hand, called himself. It lasted about 10 seconds, saved it with some extra contact information, then returned the device to its rightful owner.

"We're busy so it can't be today, but let me know if you get permission. I know Anthony's dying for it." He said, very nonchalantly before turning towards the mini playground in the front yard of the building. "AJ, we're going home!"

A loud 'awwww!' was heard from the two boys who were on the seesaw and they both pouted before getting down from it. Anthony seemed upset but not so much, because when he approached his brother, he put his arms up to be picked up. He was, and then he proceeded to droop his head on his brother's shoulder. Andrew simply clung to Alexander's leg and silently waved goodbye to his friend.

"Text me." He tells the blond before leaving with a disappointed 5 year old in his arms.

Alexander finally looked at his phone's screen to see the new contact.

'Aiden Crowley'. So **that's** his name. Smug bastard even added an email address and his birthday! Is that how he makes friends? 'Hello there, you don't know me but I have several details about you and I'm about to add myself to your contact list because I have no respect for personal space and you aren't going to say a bloody thing because you're soft and like my voice. Ta-ta!'... I've **got** to stop rambling.

He shook his head, snapping back to reality and patting his little brother on the top of his head. "Come along, Andrew. Avery must be waiting for us at the bus stop."

~~~~~

The play-date happened the following weekend, Aiden and Anthony came over to the Fell household and upon arriving, the first thing Andrew did was drag off Anthony through the living room and into his 'fortress'. Naturally, Aiden followed to make sure his baby brother didn't touch anything he wasn't supposed to. Immediately, he saw the photo which hung on top of the fireplace.

[It was a lovely photo.](https://www.instagram.com/p/B6dh6jElND7/?igshid=16ms7uou4iydc)

It depicted the three Fell siblings hugging each other in descending order of size, with Avery sitting with Alexander in between his legs and him doing the same with Andrew while the youngest ate a snack. It definitely looked like one of those poses that just happen naturally and then you're forced to stay in said pose until they actually take the picture. Pre-planned or not, it was an adorable photograph and Aiden piped up about it right away.

"Awww, look at the angelic brothers hugging each other, what a **lovely** family picture! Try getting the three of **us** to do that, I dare you. Not an easy task, I can promise you that." He said as he slumped on the couch which sat across the room from the framed image.

Alexander rolled his eyes. "If your other brother is as insufferable as you seem to be, that is hardly surprising."

"Don't enjoy my company already? Aren't you a quick judge of character." He said with a grin.

The blond's lips pressed into a thin line, almost as thin as his patience for the teen who sat across the room from him. "We both know this is being done for their sake, no need to pretend we like each other."

Aiden placed his hands on his chest, as if he had just gotten shot. "Oh, you hurt my feelings, Alexander! I like you!"

The blond scoffed.

"I **do**! You're snippy and honest. Not to mention easy to annoy, that's always fun." He leaned back on the couch, comfortably sprawled out, just waiting for the home's resident to get on his case for his posture.

Alexander sat on the loveseat, **properly** , and shot a glare his way. "I imagine you were having a ball with those idiotic texts you kept sending. When you forced me to have your number, I assumed it would only be to talk about Andrew and Anthony, not some stupid jokes which aren't even funny."

"They're called 'memes' Az, get with the times-"

"My name is 'Alexander', is that so difficult for you to comprehend?" Pouted the shorter teen.

Aiden shook his head. "Nah, my tongue's just lazy and prefers one syllable instead of four."

"Are you going to be this obnoxious all afternoon? I have some work to do and you're being louder than the two 5 year olds." Asked the blue-eyed teen, rubbing his temples.

The yellow-eyed boy waved him off. "Relax, I'll pop in my headphones and watch the kids for you."

"Will you?" Asked Alexander in the most annoyed tone he could muster.

"Yeah, 'course. I am capable of being left in charge of small children, despite what you may **think** my level of maturity is." He said, getting up and heading into the small den-like area where the boys were playing.

"Heavy emphasis on 'think'..." Muttered Alexander as he stood.

Aiden heard him and replied from the floor of the den. "For good reason, but I won't bore you with it. Go do your thing, we'll be fine." He assured.

_Lord above, give me the strength to continue dealing with this smartass. It appears I'll be seeing a lot more of him and I can't stand him!..._

Alexander made his way over to the dining room table and got started on his homework.

Hours passed and not a single word was uttered during this time. Not directly anyway. Whenever he wanted to ask Alexander for something, he'd send Andrew to ask in his place. When asked why he did this, instead of asking himself like a normal person, Aiden responded with: "Since you hate me, I figured I'd send the only one of us that you actually love because you won't snap at him."

_Clever bastard_. Thought Alexander.

Sometime after Alexander finished his homework, Avery came downstairs to start on dinner. Aiden offered to help and Avery was more than happy to accept it. For tonight, Alexander had to eat his words (and some pasta prepared by Aiden's hands) and admit that, perhaps, the black-haired lad wasn't all **that** terrible after all.

~~~~~

One play-date turned into two, then three, then four. Before long, Aiden and Anthony were in the Fell household every day after school. It became the norm, with the three blonds missing the Crowley brothers whenever they couldn't make it for whatever reason. And the two guests felt the same way, longing to be with their friends when they weren't.

The comfort was so much, that one night, when they hadn't noticed the time, Aiden got a call from their older brother. He was worried. He had just gotten home, it was midnight, and his little brothers were nowhere to be found. Aiden, never letting an opportunity pass by, asked if it was alright for them to stay over. He asked this, knowing his brother wouldn't want to drive to pick them up because he was exhausted from work. Considering it was a Friday night, the older brother didn't fuss too much about it. He made sure Avery was alright with it before giving Aiden his permission to stay. That night, Alexander finally asked Aiden something which he had wondered ever since they first visited.

"Why is it that whenever Anthony tells you he wants to say 'goodnight', you take him out to the backyard?" He asked, looking down at the two 5 year olds who slept peacefully on the loveseat. Andrew's head was using Anthony's shoulder as a pillow, while Anthony just used the chair's backrest.

Aiden passed a gentle hand over his brother's flame-red hair, smiling softly at the little guy. "It's a little depressing. You sure you want to know?"

"I would." He responded with a nod.

Aiden sighed, as if trying to steady himself. "Alright, but let's put these two to bed properly. I don't want him hearing me and getting upset." He picked up Anthony as gently as he could.

"Alright." He agreed, about to do the same to Andrew.

As they did this, Anthony's heavy-lidded eyes fluttered open and started making grabby-hands. "Angelll..." He whined softly.

Aiden quickly shushed him and held him tight. "It's okay, AJ. We're just moving you." He whispered.

He felt his little brother clutching at his shirt the whole time he climbed the stairs. Meanwhile, not a peep had come out Andrew as they made their way up. He wasn't one for naps during the day so when that kid went out, he was out-cold until sunrise. They reached Andrew's bedroom, tucked in both 5 year olds and left the nightlight on. As he shut the door, Alexander noticed Anthony had snuggled up to Andrew again, seeking warmth.

_These two are going to be the death of me. How can they be so darn precious without even trying?_

Alexander then checked Avery's bedroom at the end of the hall because he saw his light was still on. He found his older brother asleep on his desk, one of his notebooks beneath him.

_Why do you insist on doing this to yourself? You know you've got all day tomorrow to finish this..._

He shook his head at Avery's stubbornness and proceeded to place a blanket over him before heading downstairs to the living room once more.

Aiden was now barefoot, lying down on the couch and going through his phone. Strange, since he always refused to take his shoes off when he was there. He seemed to be more somber than usual. Alexander sat on the other end, moving his feet, then placing them on his lap so he was still in a lounging position.

"You don't actually have to tell me if you don't want to..."

"Nah, it's alright. I trust you, Az. Plus, someone ought to know. So... two years ago, just after mum died, Anthony didn't understand what had happened. Obviously. I mean, he was 3 years old! What 3 year old understands death?" He started, not looking at Alexander.

The shorter teen glanced sadly at him as he continued.

"He kept asking where our mum was, when she was going to come back, when we were going to visit her again in the hospital... We were planning the funeral and burial arrangements behind his back. For a while, we considered to just show him the casket to see if he'd understand then, but we realized how cruel that'd be."

_Terribly cruel, indeed. The shock alone could've traumatized the poor boy..._

"So, the night before the funeral, I went outside with him and told him that mum was gone. He was confused at first, but I could see the realization creeping up on his face the more I explained. I tried keeping it simple, can't expect a 3 year old to understand the complexity of how your body shuts down when you have cancer... Anyway, I finally told him that her spirit, the real her, the one who loved him, was up there in the stars..." His voice had been growing softer, almost breaking, as the sentences went along.

Tears started falling. "...You have no idea how heartbreaking it is to have your little brother say he wants to be off in the stars with his mum... Even if he had no clue what he was actually saying, it was just an awful feeling..."

Alexander grabbed one of Aiden's ankles to let him know that it was alright, that he was there with him. Aiden sighed, took a deep breath but kept talking. "He still cried his eyes out when he saw her in the coffin. We all did. But at least he wasn't crying and trying to bring her back somehow, that was my biggest fear. So, every night after we buried her, he asks to go outside to say goodnight to her."

Alexander was also crying now but tried keeping it to a minimum so Aiden could keep speaking.

"I don't know whether doing that was the right thing to do or not Az, but I think it helps him. Even if it's a little..."

By now, Alexander couldn't take it anymore. He moved along the couch, grabbed Aiden by his t-shirt and pulled him in for a hug. "That was very kind of you."

"...Shut up..." He managed to say in between sobs. They stayed that way for a while, Aiden essentially in Alexander's lap and crying on his shoulder. The blond held him as he rubbed his back, trying to comfort him.

_You poor thing. How long have you gone without venting? I know I went a while after father passed. You've never even mentioned your father, I can't imagine what it's like to lose your only parent..._

Alexander decided to tell him about their grieving experience when their father died. It was different, and in the Fell's case, the youngest sibling has no memory of the event or the person. Andrew was only a year old when it happened, so he was blessed in a way. He didn't have to go through that pain. Aiden just hopes Andrew will be there to comfort Anthony if something happens to them in the future, like Alexander was trying right now.

Eventually they let go of each other, promised not to tell anyone about their late-night crying session, and proceeded to watch some romantic comedies to calm down. They were both exhausted by 3 a.m. but they weren't quite sure when they finally fell asleep.

Their older brother came to pick them up before clocking into work the following morning. As far as Alexander was aware, Aiden slept for the rest of the day, seeing as he failed to respond to any other text after letting him know that he and Anthony made it home safely.

~~~~~

**_ Avery's POV: _ **

It had been over a month since Aiden and Anthony started regularly visiting them. Avery had no issue with this, his issue was that he was, seemingly, the only adult-figure in the equation. He knew all three of the Crowley brothers lived with their uncle Lucius, but he had never met either of them. The eldest, Aaron, would sometimes pick them up at the house, but he never got out the car. The tinted windows made it difficult to see into the vehicle, and on top of that, he always seemed to be wearing sunglasses. Because of this, Avery thinks it is a good idea to go meet Aaron himself.

Rather than getting on the bus with his brothers and their friends to go home, today he stayed behind. He knew Alexander had his keys, there were plenty of leftovers in the refrigerator, the laundry had been done the previous day and the house was clean, so today was as good a day as any to go into town and try to find where he worked.

The young man walked through the streets, scanning his surroundings for the large neon sign which read "Luci's Ink & Metal". The pin the map on his phone put down was useless because it was the old location. It was now a little family-owned deli. So he resorted to asking around the other shops. Avery knew he could've just asked Aiden, but he wanted to do this on his own.

There he was, being stubborn again and taking too long to find the damned tattoo parlor. It took him about 15 minutes of looking through social media to get the proper location. It was on a third floor of a large building he had passed by twice already, above a pet-shop and a plant-nursery.

_Strange placement for a tattoo and piercing place. I suppose it's for rent reasons..._

He stepped out of the elevator once it reached the third floor. He entered the establishment and his ears were bombarded with the sounds of needles whirring, rock music, loud chatter and laughter. He looked around, the stations for every artist were organized in cubicles for more privacy. Everything looked sleek, modern and clean. Not to Avery's taste but he could appreciate the aesthetic of the whole place. There was a front desk, so he approached it.

The girl sitting there had tan skin, long dark hair, pierced nose and lip and wore loose clothes with pre-made rips. Her brown eyes were big, round and surrounded by a large pair of glasses. Very pretty. "Hi there, doll-face. Don't get many of your kind 'round here."

_**My** kind?_

"Plan on getting your first tattoo with us?" She asked, smiling. Avery noticed a piercing in her tongue as well.

_Not in this life!_

His eyes went wide. "Oh, no! I was actually-"

"Piercing then? I'm surprised!" She exclaimed happily.

_Don't be surprised because it's not happening!_

Avery shook his head, waving his hands around trying to get her to listen to him. "No, no! I'm looking for Aaron Crowley. Is he working today?"

She winked at him before standing up and facing the cubicles. "Aaron, you've got a suitor lookin' for ya!"

_What?!_

"No, no, it's nothing like that-"

She chuckled. "Don't worry, love. Just teasing ya. His friends always show up looking for him."

Avery visibly sighed in relief at the statement and she laughed again. "Sit down over there, he'll come get ya when he's done. He was finishing up a big piece today."

Not even twenty seconds after he took a seat, a voice roared from the back part of the room. It startled him a bit.

"Audrey, I'm taking a break, send him over!" He shouted.

"Right!" She yelled back, then smiled at the blond. "Come on, doll. Follow me."

Avery nodded and tailed her all the way the last area on the right side of the floor. As they passed by the cubicles, he glanced inside. There were all kinds of tattoos being worked on. From detailed to simple, there was a portrait in one, one had a rose, even a dragon. Then there were people getting piercings as well. Some were normal, as far as Avery was concerned. Ears, noses, even eyebrows. Then he visibly cringed when he passed by one cubicle and saw a man getting his nipples pierced.

Finally, they made it to Aaron's space. The tall man wasn't facing them, he was hunched over a little desk, scribbling in a notebook. Avery noted the black leather jacket tied around his waist, the dark grey tank-top, long and wavy black hair which reached his shoulders and a large black snake tattoo running up his left arm. He was too focused to notice them stepping in.

She nudged Avery with her elbow gently before mouthing "Watch this." She then leaned over and poked him in the ribs. It made him jump with a shout and she started to laugh.

"Fuck's sake, Audrey! One of these days you're gonna kill me and I **will** come back to haunt you." He said, turning around to face them.

His eyes were golden, just like his brothers'. Sharp facial features. He had an eyebrow piercing and a tiny diamond stud on his nose but the main characteristic which caught Avery's attention was the small snake tattoo he had on the right side of his face.

_Oh for Heaven's sake. One's a future radio host, one could be a child actor and the other one's an inked up model. I cannot with this family..._ The blond started blushing.

"I'll leave you to it." Audrey announced with a smile before leaving.

Aaron stared at the innocent looking individual in front of him. Eyed him up and down multiple times, slowly. Avery said nothing, waiting for the artist to speak. When he finally did, it wasn't what he expected.

The man grinned. "I've never inked a twink before, this should be fun."

"Excuse me?!" Asked Avery, just as appalled as he was when Audrey had said something similar.

_Wait. What's a twink?_

"Just bullshitting. You're Avery Fell, right?" He asked, gesturing for him to sit down in the cushioned chair.

Avery blinked at him as he sat and began stuttering. "Y-Yes. How did- how did you know?"

"Aiden's shown me pictures of your brothers. You look a lot alike. Of course, that should be a given, since all three of you had the same parents. Unlike us..." He explained, his expression more soft now, as if he remembered something.

The younger of the two nodded to this, not sure of how to respond to that. He knew they shared a mother, but nothing of their fathers was ever spoken, and since it wasn't Avery's business, he'd never brought it up.

"Sorry for your loss. Aiden told me about your father..." Aaron added.

_Ahh, so that was it._

"And I'm sorry about yours. I overheard him and Alexander the night he stayed over." Replied Avery.

Aaron raised a brow, as if he was intrigued by something. "You 'overheard'? I wouldn't have pegged anyone in your family to be the eavesdropping type."

"We aren't." He assured. "I heard Alexander checking in on me earlier that night and when I woke, I wanted see if they were alright. I was going down the stairs when I heard them speaking. I was going to head back to my room but when I heard him mention your mother, I grew curious. I shouldn't have listened, I know, but I'm glad I did."

"Why is that?" He asked, leaning in closer.

Avery couldn't help but smile at the mental image he remembered. "Because I witnessed Alexander comforting someone who wasn't family. I've always known he was a good brother. Seeing how good of a friend he is warmed my heart... Since they don't know I was listening, I've never brought up the topic."

Aaron gave him a nod, crossed his arms and hooked one leg on the chair. "Good. He'll lose his trust in you if he finds out. Anyway, why are you here? Did one of the little buggers finally break something and you've come to collect a cheque for it?"

"Nothing of the sort! I wanted to meet you. Seeing as we seem to be the adults in their lives at the moment, and they don't speak much about your uncle." Explained Avery quickly.

"Yeah, he's not really one for raising kids but he tries. Took us in as soon as mum got sick. He may not be the most cuddly individual but he cares, and he makes sure we're alright... So, if nothing's wrong, are we good here? Or were you just trying to see what type of place I worked in."

_Yup. **Definitely** family._

Avery blinked at him, a light smile appeared on his face. "You're good."

Aaron grinned back. "I know." He said smugly.

Just then, his phone rang and he excused himself, leaving Avery alone in his cubicle. The teen looked around the workspace, noting all the pictures which were taped onto the walls. Very detailed tattoos of varying sizes and styles. They were very impressive. Avery moved over to glance at the notebook he had been using when he first came in. There was a lovely sketch of a fluffy duck on the abandoned page. There were also flowers, gravestones, skulls and kittens.

_This is either his practice sheet, mindless doodles or he has a client with a very large range of interests when it comes to their body-art..._

He looked up at the photos again, focusing on tattooed words this time. Many were names, some were inspirational but the one that intrigued him the most was a quote he was very familiar with thanks to his little brother's love for Shakespeare.

'I do love nothing in the world so well as you. Is not that strange?' The words were written in cursive, black ink, arranged into the shape of a heart on someone's chest.

"Like what you see, Fell?" The question startled Avery. Mainly because he hadn't heard him come back. Of course, the music was still just as loud in the whole establishment, so he should've been aware that he wouldn't have noticed him coming back anyway.

Avery sat properly again, regaining himself. "Yes. Very nice. Alexander loves Shakespeare. I'm more fond of Wilde, myself."

Aaron grabbed the neckline of his tank-top and pulled it down slightly, just enough to reveal his left peck. "That's Aiden's tattoo. He loves that bloody play something fierce."

_Aiden's...?_

He then extended his right arm, turned it and showed him his wrist. The inside of it had a little line of tiny duck footprints. "That's Anthony's. Loves ducks, it's adorable." He did the same with his other arm, revealing a little umbrella on the inside of his left wrist.

"That's mum's. Ashtoreth Crowley loved Mary Poppins. Why? I'll never know. I still can't stand that movie." He explained before pointing at the snake on his face. "Uncle Luci's. No symbolism there, it's just the first one he did for me and I really like snakes, as you could probably tell by the beast on my arm." He concluded, gesturing to his biggest piece.

_He has one for everyone he cares about... How **lovely**!_

"They're all beautiful. And the meaning behind them makes them even more so..." Said Avery with a very warm and fuzzy expression.

Aaron nodded slowly. "The meaning's important. Now that you know it, let me be clear." He moved his chair closer to Avery's, he leaned forward, his elbows resting in his thighs as he did so. For a moment Avery wanted to back away, but in reality, he had nowhere to go. He was cornered.

"Make sure nothing happens to them while they're with you. Do you understand?" His voice was lower, serious, focused. His eyes never left Avery's. It was intimidating, yes, but Avery could clearly see something familiar. That bond, that protective nature for your younger siblings, he could practically feel it. This felt like a deal, and if that was the case, he needed something as well.

Avery inhaled deeply and extended his hand. "Only if you do."

Aaron raised both eyebrows in surprised.

"Whenever they decide to go to your place instead, if you're there, I need to know you'll promise me the same."

_If not, I can't do what you ask of me._

The golden-eyed man looked down at his outstretched hand and met him halfway, shaking it. Avery nodded, holding back a huge sigh of relief to not seem like a wimp who was only brave on rare occasions.

Aaron grinned as he moved away from him and back to his notebook. He began to write something on a blank page. "Y'know something Fell? I misjudged you." He tore the page out and handed it to him. Avery took it, reading it. It had his full name, phone number, and email, his address, even his workplace phone.

"You're not as soft as you look. In fact, you seem to be just enough of a bastard to be worth knowing." He concluded, grabbing a rubber-band to tie his hair into a ponytail. This is when Avery realized the sides of his head were actually shaved very closely to his scalp.

_Just **great**. As if you didn't already look like you should be singing on stage with a rock band. Oh lord, is this my **type**? Have I ever **had** a type?_

"And despite the rough-looking exterior, you seem like a good person at heart." Retorted Avery.

"Damn straight. But don't go spreading it around." He said, pointing a finger at him, though it came off as more of a joke than a threat.

"Aarooooon!"

They both looked back and saw a tall white man with short, dark hair walking towards them. He didn't look upset but the scream made Avery wary.

When he finally reached them, he leaned against the cubicle wall lazily.

"Are you done with this consultation yet? Luke Hastur just walked in here asking for another piercing and you're the only one here with the patience to do it and listen to his ramblings without resulting to physical violence."

Aaron groaned loudly.

_Must be an insufferable client..._

"What type of piercing?" He finally asked.

The man tried to not laugh or grin but it was proving very difficult. He mumbled something neither of them understood.

"A what?" Asked Aaron.

"A Prince Albert..."

_Piercings have proper names now? Who would've guessed?_

" **Fuck that**. Not him, not my hand, no matter how many pairs of fucking gloves I put on. As if he's not enough of a perv when someone's **not** touching on his dick." He said quickly and with emphasis.

_What the Hell's a Prince Albert then?!_

Avery was shocked by his response, mainly because he was 85% sure this was his superior he was talking to.

Aaron then looked at Avery, as if a lightbulb had just gone off in his brain. "Tell him I can't see anyone for the rest of the day. Personal matter. But that Bea will be happy to do it for me. She owes me one, she'll know what about when you tell her."

The tall man crossed his arms. "Uh-huh. And this 'personal matter's' name would be? Don't tell me you've found another boy-toy so quickly Aaron." He asked, looking at Avery.

_I beg you bloody pardon?_

Aaron rolled his eyes. "Boy-toys are **your** thing, uncle, not mine. That's Fell, he's Aiden's friend. Fell, this is my uncle, Lucius Crowley. He owns the place. Anyway, as far as Luke over there is concerned, I'm going to be busy for the rest of the day. You just keep sending my appointments my way, Bea doesn't need to know I'm still here."

Lucius laughed as he walked away. "You're lucky I love seeing Bea annoyed, otherwise I'd be forcing you to do it anyway!"

They were alone once more, and the air felt heavy with awkwardness. Aaron cleared his throat. "Anyhow... If something happens, or you need to reach me, there you go." He said, gesturing to the paper which was still in Avery's grip.

Avery snapped back to reality, put away the paper in his bag, thanked him and made his way out of the loud and now crowded tattoo parlor with a sense of accomplishment. Now he was off to his home to see what needed to be done in terms of school-work.

_Well, that was certainly something..._

~~~~~

Today, Avery had a few errands to run after school, so once again, he told Alexander and the rest to head home without him. He planned on being back in the house by 5 p.m. to start on dinner but first he needed to pay all the bills and pick up some more school supplies. Everything would be much more convenient if they accepted payments over the phone or online but these companies liked staying in the past.

Between waiting for buses, taking out money at the bank, going to each office, standing and waiting in line for much longer than he should have, and buying the things they needed, he finally finished. He practically collapsed onto the bus bench with all his bags. He made sure they were all looped around his left arm and waited for the next bus to take him as close to home as possible.

He checked his phone. _Hmm, 55%... I should ease up on using it. At least until the bus arrives. Good thing I've still got my backpack with me._

He reached over opened it and took out the first book his fingers grazed. As Avery was going through his favorite poetry book, he's startled by a car horn loudly going off in close proximity. The only reason he looked up from his book was because he heard a familiar voice shouting at him.

"Oi, Fell!" It was Aaron Crowley, driving his black Bentley. Avery had never quite focused on it whenever it pulled up to their house to pick up Aiden and Anthony. It looked vintage, in very good condition. Avery would've never pegged him for a classic car enthusiast.

_Must be his day off, he's not in his uniform..._

"Need a lift? Well, I **know** you do, look where you're sitting."

Avery began to stutter as he fumbled with the book and his phone trying to get a look at the time. Originally he would've answered depending on how long he would've had to wait but Aaron didn't give him a chance to respond before he was rolling his eyes. Or that's what Avery assumed, thanks to the movement of his eyebrows, since his eyes were covered by those dark sunglasses he liked so much.

"Get in here." He said. It was an order, but the tone wasn't threatening, despite what he may look like.

Avery made sure he had all his belongings with him before climbing into the vehicle. He tried his best to not bring in dirt or gravel onto the floor of the Bentley, assuming Aaron was one of **those** car guys.

He smiled at him. "Thank you. That bus was running much later than usual. Something must've happened."

"Don't mention it. Headed home, I presume." Aaron said as the light turned green.

"Yes. I'm already running late to start on dinner. The boys must be famished by now."

_Andrew must be complaining so much. Did he have snacks in the pantry? Oh, great, now I'm not sure... I'll have to get more groceries by the end of the week._

"Are my boys with yours today again?"

Avery nodded. "Andrew said he wanted to get Anthony to read more. And I also heard Alexander mention something about Aiden bringing last year's notebooks to help him with an essay he has due for English next week."

"Does your lot like sushi?" He asked next, as if ignoring Avery's statement.

The blond's brow furrowed. "Yes, we enjoy it very much."

_What does that have to do with anything?_

"Mine too. We'll order some so you don't have to worry about cooking. Ever been to Morimoto's Sushi Palace?"

"Delicious but very overpriced, if you ask me." Admitted the shorter of the two.

Aaron shrugged a bit. "Good thing I'm not asking you then, isn't it?"

Avery glared at the driver, who must've seen his reaction out of the corner of his eye considering his next response.

"My treat. As a 'thank you' for dealing with my brothers so much recently." He told him honestly.

_You say it as if they're a burden. Far from it, my dear boy_. "Oh, it's no problem. They're quite nice. Plus, it's a bit lovely having more than the same three voices bouncing off the walls."

Aaron smiled for a moment, his eyes still focused on the road ahead. "They love going over there. Aiden's never been one to like hanging out with others. Anthony is, but the aforementioned fact about Aiden is the reason why our tiny bastard didn't go on many play-dates. Before you guys, of course."

"Since meeting Anthony, Andrew has been less shy around others. At least, so says the teacher. He used to just stay with her instead of interacting with the other children. I'm truly glad they met."

_I'm also glad to have met you. You're a lovely person. Must run in the family._

"So am I..." This time, Aaron let himself smile for a little while longer.

The rest of the ride was silent, but pleasantly so. Upon arriving to the restaurant, Aaron did a strange handshake with the hostess Avery had never seen before and they sat on the bench to wait.

A few minutes passed, they chattered absentmindedly and suddenly the hostess and two waitresses came toward them, all with a large plastic bag in their hands. Aaron slinked his arm through the hole of one of the bags, then grabbed another with his left hand. He gave the third to Avery.

"Thanks girls. Let's go, Fell."

Upon seeing the employees don't look upset or expecting anything, Avery follows. As he reached the double-parked car and its driver, he finally asked:

"You did pay for all this, correct?"

"Just because you didn't see it, doesn't mean I didn't." Said the taller of the two as he placed the bags in the backseat. The styrofoam containers inside squeaked he moved them into place.

He reached over for the one Avery held, his fingers grazed the blond's for a moment. He was warm, warmer than he would've expected. He shook away the thought of it and continued with the task. Once the food was securely in place, they climbed into the vehicle and drove off.

"How did you get them to do that so quick? Last time we were there it was just as full and it took forever for us to be seated!"

_It was quite impressive how they just knew what to do immediately._

"When you work for Lucius Crowley, you get special treatment at Morimoto's. Mainly because my uncle and the owner kinda have a **thing** going on. So as long as things are still good in that bedroom, we get the VIP treatment."

Avery felt himself blush. "A bit too much information there, Crowley."

"Sorry. Tend to forget you're a bit of a prude." Said the driver nonchalantly.

_Just because you and your co-workers talk about your partners in detail does not mean I want to know any specifics._

"I am not a **prude**. I simply believe whatever happens between a couple in between the sheets is their business and their business alone. Unless it's filmed to be posted online, then criticism and opinions are to be expected. My reaction was due to the fact that I know what your uncle looks like and I got a visual I did **not** need." Explained Avery, face and ears still red.

Aaron laughed loudly at this, making the car veer a bit into the neighboring lane for about three seconds, which only made Avery's blush increase along with a spike of fear.

_As if your driving wasn't bad enough when you actually **were** paying attention!_

"It is not funny, you little fiend! Watch the road!" He yelled at him, gently smacking Aaron's left arm as if he was scolding a child.

The long-haired individual regained himself a bit and slowed down for Avery's sake, "Oh my dear Fell, I **disagree**."

_'My dear'. Sounds more like something that would come out of my mouth, not yours. Although, it sounds quite nice coming from you..._

Aaron must've noticed what he said, because he didn't say another word until they made it back to the house. Avery climbed out of the Bentley with the items he had purchased earlier that afternoon. He unlocked the front door, set those bags on top of the dining room, then went back out to help Aaron with the sushi.

When Avery finally realized how heavy the styrofoam takeaway plates were, he glanced at Aaron. "Did you pay for a whole sushi boat?" He asked as they entered the kitchen.

Aaron nodded. "Yeah. More variety that way, don't you think?"

"Yes but isn't it more expensive?" Asked Avery as he took the plates out of the plastic bags.

The taller of the two shrugged, leaning against the sink. The sun which came through the kitchen window seemed to frame his profile perfectly. "I mean, you don't have to cook for today so I think it was worth it. Don't you?" He asked.

_How do you manage to look like this without even trying? It's not fair_. As Avery felt another blush coming on, he cleared his throat.

"The boys haven't come down yet, so they must still be watching that movie Alexander texted me about. Why don't you go turn off the car while I go fetch them. We can all have dinner together."

_If you'd like to, that is._

Aaron shoved his hands into his pockets, looking down at the floor. "I was actually going to leave. You guys already have your little routine, I think I'd just get in the way."

"Nonsense! You're just as welcomed as your brothers are. In fact, I think they'd like to spend more time with you." Said the blond before disappearing up the stairs, not giving the other time to protest. It worked, because Avery heard the Bentley's engine shut down by the time he reached the top of the staircase.

The four younger siblings followed Avery downstairs a few minutes later. Anthony ran as fast as he could into the arms of his eldest brother with pure joy. It was quite precious. All six of them sat at the table, ate and talked. It was very pleasant, and Aaron would later admit he enjoyed it more than he expected to. Avery reiterated that he was welcome to join them whenever he had the chance and Aaron took the offer to heart.

~~~~~

The months passed by quickly. Before they knew it, the school year had ended and the Fell's mother would be returning in a matter of days. The boys were not only happy about this, they were incredibly excited to show her something which had been in the works for a long time now. Aaron taught Avery how to drive, something Avery himself never thought was going to happen but upon seeing the Fell's family car just sitting in the driveway and not being used, Aaron made it his mission to teach him so he wouldn't have to depend on others. He knew what that position was like, he also knew the position of being in charge of two younger siblings and how much responsibility that is. Being able to drive would simplify things a bit and he was happy to help with that.

Frances Fell nearly fell to her knees from the shock when she walked out of the airport and saw her van parked on the curb with her eldest at the wheel. Of course, he wasn't alone. There was no way in Heaven or Hell he felt confident enough to drive without his mentor next to him, seeing as he had only gotten his license a month ago. And since neither Alexander or Andrew wanted to stay at home and wait for Avery to return with their mother, they tagged along, dragging Aiden and Anthony with them. It was a good thing the vehicle had three rows of seats, otherwise it would've been extremely uncomfortable.

This was her first time meeting the Crowley brothers, and she had to admit, she took a liking to them quite fast. She loved having them around as much as the boys did. They became a bit of a family as the years passed, even with all the changes that happened. Avery went to university and would be visited by Aaron at least once a month. Aiden and Alexander started working together at a local bakery in town after graduating high school. Andrew and Anthony wound up going to the same university when they were of age and decided being roommates with each other instead of with some stranger would be an easier way to get used to their new surroundings.

No matter how much time went by or where they were, the three pairs always remained together, practically attached at the hip. Their bond was truly something else, and Frances Fell thanked God in Heaven above that she went away on that trip so long ago. She knew her boys were happy and would never be lonely again.


End file.
